Warrior / Tokyo Rose

“…they all called her Tokyo, the boys know her as Rose…”

Riot was apparently more popular in Japan at the start than anywhere else, for despite being signed by small indie Fire Sign Records (with very little documented about this label), the Japanese Victor Records took the reins and began pressing singles for the band’s ’77 Rock City lp, a full-length the label would eventually make available in their country in ’78. Coincidentally, the debut would house a song called “Tokyo Rose” and almost unsurprisingly was tagged for the first single’s b-side. Marketing at its most logical.

No doubt “Warrior” was chosen as the a-side for its aggressive, yet slightly ramped up tempo and melodically contrasting, sing-songy chorus that holds the verses together. Probably more significant is its legit speed metal riffage that wouldn’t be considered ‘classic’ for about twenty years, predating Priest’s “Exciter” only by mere months, yet recognizes comradery in same year songs by UK’s Uriah Heep (“Free n’ Easy”) and unknown fellow US band Hydra (“Shame”). The marketing strategist this disc has awakened in me would also play “Warrior” off Japan’s renowned sense of honor.

“Tokyo Rose”’s southerly American opening twang closes after about thirty seconds in lieu of their normally wider and less identifiable hard rock style and motors ahead with a more lax, open road feel, which is ironic ‘cos a good share of American southern rock songs are about just that. Throw in a title and story having virtually zero to do with the US and you have what it all boils down to: a decent b-side distancing itself from what the a-side already accomplished. Everything else is just fun, stupid stuff that’s amusing as observation.

This single was just the beginning of a career born way earlier than most with ties to the metal genre (and when I say 'ties', I'm speakin' about any close musical style where a popular vote needs to decide metalness/non-metalness).